Best Autonomous Vehicles Companies in San Francisco, United States
The 38 best Autonomous Vehicles companies in San Francisco, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Cruise.
Ranked: Best Autonomous Vehicles companies in San Francisco
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cruise Platform offering solutions for autonomous car 83Patents top 9%Innovation top 19%AI top 20%Funding top 25% All 12 signals ▾Patentstop 9% Innovationtop 19% AItop 20% Fundingtop 25% Moattop 29% Talenttop 32% Markettop 33% Producttop 40% Growthtop 41% Globalbottom 44% Newsbottom 43% Techbottom 42% Patents: 2,211 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 1871 filings since 2022 vs 340 in 2017-21 Innovation: 2,211 patents (top 1% of patent-holders) · 1871 filings since 2022 vs 340 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 83/100 | $7.7B | 55 mo ago | 3,326 | Hao Gao | — | 2,211 patents Advanced radar-based perception and AI optimization for autonomous vehicle navigation | — |
| 2 | Bedrock Robotics 🦄 Developer of autonomous technology for transforming construction and industrial equipment 82Funding top 14%AI top 20%Moat top 27%Talent top 28% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 14% AItop 20% Moattop 27% Talenttop 28% Markettop 43% Techtop 46% Globalbottom 48% Funding: Raised $350M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 1 yrs (2.0/yr) AI: Classified as an AI company rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $350M | 7 mo ago | — | Kevin Peterson Co-Founder & CTO | SanityTurbopackApple iCloud Mail+17 | — | — |
| 3 | Starship Technologies Operator of autonomous robots for delivery of goods and advertising 72Funding top 17%News top 17%Customers top 29%AI top 30% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 17% Newstop 17% Customerstop 29% AItop 30% Moattop 31% Techtop 35% Talenttop 38% Globaltop 39% Markettop 41% Producttop 46% Innovationbottom 47% Growthbottom 44% Funding: Raised $231M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 9 yrs (0.9/yr) News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 71 tracked, 7 types) · +600% YoY rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 72/100 | $231M | 10 mo ago | 164 | Janus Friis Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+37 | — | 1 award |
| 4 | Swift Navigation Provider of precise positioning solutions for automotive, mobile, and mass markets 74Funding top 19%Innovation top 20%Patents top 22%Tech top 24% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 19% Innovationtop 20% Patentstop 22% Techtop 24% Moattop 26% Producttop 29% Growthtop 45% Newstop 46% Marketbottom 47% Globalbottom 42% Funding: Raised $200M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 12 yrs (0.5/yr) Innovation: 129 patents (top 9% of patent-holders) · 97 filings since 2022 vs 31 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 74/100 | $200M | 13 mo ago | 102 102 → 130 (+27%) | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+40 | 129 patents High‑precision GNSS positioning corrections and integrity monitoring for satellite navigation systems. | — |
| 5 | Ouster Manufacturer of lidar sensors, perception software, and solutions for autonomy | $140M | 72 mo ago | 217 | Angus Pacala Co-Founder & CEO | DrupalPHPAmazon Web Services+25 | 335 patents High‑resolution 3D lidar sensing with electronically scanned emitter arrays and advanced signal processing | — |
| 6 | Embark Developing software for self-driving commercial trucks for the long haul stretches | $115M | 83 mo ago | 232 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Built Robotics Develops automated dozer robots for the construction industry | $112M | 53 mo ago | 25 25 → 41 (+64%) | Andrew Liang Co-Founder | Craft CMSApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+16 | 142 patents Autonomous earth‑moving and pile‑driving equipment with machine‑learning calibration, path planning, and obstacle mapping. | 2 partnerships |
| 8 | Ridecell Provider of cloud-enabled platform for shared mobility | $101M | 62 mo ago | 150 | ArunKumar Elangovan Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityWordPressMySQL+31 | 42 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 9 | Cepton Developer of perception solutions for safe and autonomous transportation applications | $100M | 46 mo ago | 103 103 → 69 (-33%) | Jun Pei Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowGSAPSwiper+23 | 107 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 10 | Glydways Developer of electric autonomous shuttles and mass transit solutions 74News top 19%Innovation top 20%Patents top 21%Funding top 23% All 10 signals ▾Newstop 19% Innovationtop 20% Patentstop 21% Fundingtop 23% Growthtop 25% Talenttop 28% Moattop 32% Techbottom 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 40% News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 13 tracked, 3 types) · 6 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo Innovation: 74 patents (top 25% of patent-holders) · 66 filings since 2022 vs 8 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 74/100 | $96M | 12 mo ago | 76 | Zachary Zeliff Co-Founder | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+20 | 74 patents Autonomous vehicle navigation, lidar perception, trajectory planning, dynamic suspension, and mesh networking. | 1 partnership |
| 11 | Sense Photonics Developer of solid-state LiDAR-based sensors | $66M | 80 mo ago | 85 | Shauna McIntyre CEO | — | 213 patents Advanced LiDAR and photon‑counting sensor technologies for high‑resolution ranging | — |
| 12 | Ike Developer of automated trucking technology | $52M | 91 mo ago | 61 | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Agtonomy AI-driven automation solutions for agriculture and industrial equipment 69Funding top 24%Patents top 27%Innovation top 28%Moat top 32% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 24% Patentstop 27% Innovationtop 28% Moattop 32% Newstop 34% Growthtop 38% AItop 45% Producttop 49% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 46% Globalbottom 37% Funding: Raised $46.0M across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 5 yrs (1.2/yr) Patents: 37 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 37 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100 | $46M | 10 mo ago | 44 | Tim Bucher Co-Founder & CEO | — | 37 patents Autonomous agricultural drones for precision resource delivery and smart farm equipment | 1 launch · 2 partnerships |
| 14 | RideOS Technology provider for transportation service in self-driving vehicle ecosystem | $34M | 97 mo ago | 37 | — | — | 17 patents Optimizing autonomous fleet routing with real-time data, cost models, and configurable constraints. | — |
| 15 | Bestmile Cloud-driven fleet optimization solution for autonomous & human-driven vehicles | $33M | 60 mo ago | 50 | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Pixmoving Developer of autonomous mobile spaces and modular robotic chassis platforms | $21M | 50 mo ago | 200 | Chuan Yu Co-Founder & CEO | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+15 | — | — |
| 17 | Starsky Robotics company developing autonomous trucks | $20M | 102 mo ago | 49 | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Point One Navigation Provider of precision location technology, including RTK network and positioning engine 57Tech top 12%Funding top 35%Growth top 35%Talent top 35% All 10 signals ▾Techtop 12% Fundingtop 35% Growthtop 35% Talenttop 35% Newstop 38% Moattop 39% Producttop 45% Innovationtop 48% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 31% Tech: 58 technologies across 7/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services Funding: Raised $17.5M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 9 yrs (0.4/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $17M | 9 mo ago | 20 | Aaron Nathan Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+30 | — | — |
| 19 | Civil Maps Provider of a three-dimensional (HD) mapping and localization platform built for autonomous vehicles | $17M | 112 mo ago | 500 | Anuj Gupta Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 20 | Renovo Saas-enabled data platform for autonomous driving | $10M | 112 mo ago | 30 | — | — | 6 patents Patents concentrated in health & consumer products | — |
| 21 | Faction Developer of driverless vehicle platform for delivery and vehicle on-demand | $4M | 34 mo ago | 8 | Ain Mckendrick Founder & CEO | WebflowreCAPTCHAHSTS+11 | 23 patents Layer‑2 multi‑tenant data center networking with integrated cloud storage solutions | — |
| 22 | Right Hook Developing a cloud-based platform for robot testing | $2M | 90 mo ago | 4 | Warren Ahner Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 23 | Mirada Technologies Long-range LiDAR solutions for autonomous vehicles | $966K | 88 mo ago | 3 | Andrew Miner Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 24 | Javelin Robotics Provider of autonomous self-driving delivery vehicles | $150K | 62 mo ago | — | Sandesh Gowda Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer | — | — | — |
| 25 | Hermes Robotics Developer of autonomous technology for trucks | $125K | 62 mo ago | 3 | Mattia Pelissou Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 26 | Polymath Robotics Provider of autonomy software for industrial vehicles | $120K | 50 mo ago | 10 | Ilia Baranov Co-Founder & CTO | WebflowHubSpotKlaviyo+10 | — | — |
| 27 | Mystro Rideshare app maximizing driver earnings through smart automation and trip filtering | $120K | 109 mo ago | 3 | Dwayne Shaw Co-Founder & COO | WebflowAmazon Web ServicesMixpanel+18 | — | — |
Top 12 Autonomous Vehicles companies in San Francisco
#1
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2024$350Mraised▾
Developer of autonomous technology for transforming construction and industrial equipment. The technology adapts to project needs and improves operational capabilities continuously. It enables machines to work safely and seamlessly, expanding team capabilities. The technology aims to accelerate project schedules with new efficiencies. It also seeks to protect people and equipment, and measure progress.
- Feb 2026Series B$270M
- Jul 2025Series A$80M
- Jul 2025Seed—
#2
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 164 employees$231.2Mraised▾
Operator of autonomous robots for delivery of goods and advertising. The robots utilize sensors and machine learning to navigate and deliver items. These robots deliver hot food, groceries, and industrial supplies to customers. The company offers solutions for university campuses, grocery retailers, delivery applications, and industrial sites.
- Oct 2025Series C$50M
- Jan 2024Series C$90M
- Mar 2022Series B$42M
- Jan 2022Venture Debt$57M
#3
Series E · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 102 employees$200Mraised▾
Provider of precise positioning solutions for automotive, mobile, and mass markets. The company delivers GNSS positioning solutions designed for autonomous applications. It offers a suite of positioning solutions that are accurate, affordable, easily integrated, reliable, and secure. The company designs and assembles products to benefit customers across the globe.
- Jul 2025Series E$50M
- Oct 2022Series D$100M
- Feb 2021Series C$50M
- Jun 2017Series B$34M
#4
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 76 employees$96.3Mraised▾
Gldyways is a developer of electric autonomous shuttles and mass transit solutions. The company offers an on-demand transit system that provides pathways with small autonomous electric shuttles running on a narrow fixed guideway. Also, it offers design, manufacture, installation, and operation of autonomous transportation solutions. The photovoltaics embedded into the infrastructure to offer eco-friendly, optimized traffic free-rides to users.
- Aug 2025Series C$170M
- May 2024Series B—
- Aug 2023Series B$56M
- Dec 2021Series B$5.3M
#5
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2021 · 44 employees$46Mraised▾
AI-driven automation solutions for agriculture and industrial equipment. It provides AI-driven automation to help growers tackle labor shortages, improve efficiency, and manage rising costs. They embed intelligence into industrial equipment, turning machines into powerful tools. Their technology delivers precision, safety, and efficiency in tough environments. They offer solutions for automating routine tasks like mowing and hauling, using trusted equipment on both diesel and electric platforms. The company provides a unified command experience for managing diverse equipment and job types. Their user-friendly app allows users to create plans, monitor progress, and gain insights through performance reports. They focus on practical solutions that boost productivity, sustainability, and progress across industries. They offer AI, robotics, and real-world operations expertise to empower operators with tools that make work safer, smarter, and more sustainable. They are building intelligent solutions that meet operators where they are.
- Oct 2025Series B$18M
- Oct 2024Series A$10M
- Dec 2023Series A$22.5M
- Jun 2023Seed—
#6
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 20 employees$17.5Mraised▾
Provider of precision location technology, including RTK network and positioning engine. The company delivers centimeter-level accuracy through professionally managed infrastructure. It offers a modern GraphQL API for integration into existing workflows. Software uses sensor fusion to calculate device locations, even without open sky.
- Nov 2025Series C$35M
- Mar 2023Series B$20M
- Nov 2021Series A$10M
- Nov 2017Series A$7.5M
#7
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2013 · 3326 employees$7.7Braised▾
Platform offering solutions for autonomous car. It develops hardware and software-enabled solutions for autonomous cars. It develops customized hardware with the power to manage the software stack. It uses AI to collect data from sensors and also offers object recognition and precision solutions for autonomous vehicles. Also, it offers testing and simulation solutions.
- Feb 2022Series E$1.4B
- Apr 2021Series D—
- Jan 2021Series D$2.2B
- May 2019Series C$1.1B
#8
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2015 · 25 employees$112Mraised▾
Develops automated dozer robots for the construction industry. It automates the construction and earthmoving activities. It intends to solve the chronic labor shortage in this sector & the overall threat to life involved in the sector. The company is targeting the earthmoving and grading services industry.
- Apr 2022Series C$64M
- Nov 2020Series B$5.3M
- Dec 2019Series B$6.7M
- Sep 2019Series B$33M
#9
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2012 · 103 employees$100Mraised▾
Developer of perception solutions for safe and autonomous transportation applications. The company provides hardware and software products designed for integration into various systems. These products support long-range and near-range perception capabilities. The company also offers resources such as news, announcements, blogs, and videos.
- Oct 2022Post IPO$100M
- Feb 2020Series C$50M
- Seed—
#10
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2009 · 150 employees$101.4Mraised▾
Ridecell provides cloud-enabled platform for shared mobility. It offers a suite of mobility software solutions like car-sharing, short-term rentals, and more along with features like optimize fixed-route, demand-response, hybrid transportation services, and more. It also provides a fleet automation & operations management solution for autonomous fleets. It incorporates various technologies like IoT, cloud, and more. It works with both public & private transportation networks.
- Jun 2021Series C—
- Dec 2020Series C$45M
- Nov 2018Series B—
- May 2018Series B$28.6M
#11
Public · San Francisco, California · founded 2015 · 217 employees$140Mraised▾
Manufacturer of lidar sensors, perception software, and solutions for autonomy. The company engineers lidar sensors designed for integration into existing and future applications. It offers hardware including sensors with varying fields of view and range capabilities. The company provides perception software tools and solutions. These are designed for industries such as industrial, security, traffic management, automotive, robotics, drones, and crowd analytics.
- Sep 2020Series B$42M
- Mar 2019Series B$60M
- Mar 2019Conventional Debt—
- 2018Series A—
#12
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 232 employees$115Mraised▾
Developing software for self-driving commercial trucks for the long haul stretches. The company claims to be developing the software that will serve as the truck’s central cortex, the intelligence that will drive the autonomous trucking sector. The company is testing a level 2 autopilot system. Its team is made up of robotics specialists with deep expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and real-world deployment of advanced technology.
- Sep 2019Series C$70M
- Jul 2018Series B$30M
- Jul 2017Series A$15M
- Mar 2016Seed$120K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Autonomous Vehicles coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Autonomous Vehicles is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Autonomous Vehicles — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 3,252 United States-affiliated papers.
- Carnegie Mellon University89
- Purdue University West Lafayette76
- University of California, Berkeley69
- Northeastern University64
- Stanford University55
- Computer vision12→111
- Human–computer interaction2→64
- Perception2→59
- Robustness (evolution)3→53
- Trajectory12→61
- Human–computer interaction3→65
- Transport engineering11→66
- Computer vision2→54
- Reinforcement learning3→46
- Automotive engineering5→48
- Humanities4→108
- Philosophy1→64
- Context (archaeology)1→54
- Computer security2→48
- Transport engineering4→30
Where autonomous vehicles is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing autonomous vehicles patents in the United States
United States autonomous vehicles patent filing is accelerating — 19,294 filings from 4,355 assignees (2016–2025), led by Waymo, Baidu USA, GM Cruise Holdings; annual filings 885→1348.
- Waymo1688
- Baidu USA1034
- GM Cruise Holdings767
- FORD Global TECH589
- Qualcomm565
- Tusimple547
- UBER Technologies527
- UATC507
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.